Everybody Knows (4 page)

As we got closer to the Eiffel Tower, my breath grew shallower with every step. It was stunning. There were so many people outside it, hovering around the base, staring up at the lights the same way Jason and I were. Awestruck.

“Wow,” I breathed, craning my neck to look right to the top.

“It’s amazing.”

Jason pulled me closer to him as we stared, and I rested my head on his shoulder, both of us appreciating the perfection of the moment. The sounds of the city faded as we took in the whole of the tower.

“I need to go up there,” I said. “Can we please come back tomorrow?”

“Sure we can. I think the rest of the guys will want to come too. Although… it’s not going to be as magical in daylight.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I think this will always be pretty magical.”

He smiled down at me. “Eiffel Tower selfie?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Laughing, we turned and Jason took his phone from his jeans pocket. We pressed our cheeks together as he raised his arm, making sure we were perfectly in the shot before snapping the photo.

“First tour selfie done,” he said. “Mind if I tweet this later?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. As long as I don’t get trolled by jealous fangirls.”

“You won’t. They know you now, like they know Ellie. You’re part of the Razes Hell family.”

That was true. Ellie and I had been in so many band photos, we were old news. I’d never been in a shot with just Jason though. Often the photos were of all of us at a gig, helping to set up, or just generally messing around.

“That’s a pretty cool place to be,” I said, as Jason tucked his phone away and we started the walk back to the hotel.

The walk seemed to take forever, because Jason and I kept stopping to look at the views, to marvel at the city, and… we may have stopped off for a beer in a bar close to the hotel. It was close to midnight when we reached my room, both of us still laughing over some of the things we’d seen on the way.

“Thanks for an excellent couple of hours, Lucy. I’m looking forward to more evenings like this.”

“Me too. That was a lot of fun. And we get to go back again tomorrow.”

“Looking forward to it.”

I slipped my arms around Jason’s waist and gave him a hug. As he wrapped his arms around me, he kissed the top of my head. “Goodnight, Luce.”

“Night, Jason.”

I was on top of the world – higher than the Eiffel Tower – as I threw myself down on my bed.
That
was a night to remember. I heard my phone beep in my pocket, and I pulled it out, laughing at all the notifications on the screen. There was a long list of tweets since Jason shared our selfie. Some of the comments were hilarious, but even more were just generally friendly and sweet.

@OfficialJasonBrooks @luluhayes Aww, have fun guys!

@luluhayes Will you be climbing @OfficialJasonBrooks’ tower tonight? ;) LOL!

@OfficialJasonBrooks @luluhayes Get in there my son!

@OfficialJasonBrooks @luluhayes Enjoy Paris! See you in Vienna!

@luluhayes You’re so lucky to be in Paris with @OfficialJasonBrooks! Enjoy!

There were over seventy replies, and I favourited a few of them as I scrolled through.

Razes Hell were lucky. They didn’t really get jealous fans who tweeted shitty comments. They had their share of fangirls, but they weren’t as obsessive the Directioners or the Beliebers. Urgh. Did knowing those terms make me a loser? Were there still Beliebers?

When I was done reading, I placed my phone beside me and let out a happy sigh. The tour was off to an excellent start and there was so much more to come.

Chapter 4 – Swoony McFangirl

I was right. The Eiffel Tower was definitely still magical in daylight. Going back with the whole band was fun, and even though we had to get in a huge queue with what looked like a million other tourists, it was worth it. The views over Paris from the top were magnificent. My breath was stolen again as I turned around, taking in every angle of the beauty. More selfies were taken, and I truly didn’t think I could be any happier.

This is just day one. Day. One.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t spend the whole day exploring Paris because we had to head to our first gig venue in the afternoon to set up and sound check.

Clubs in Paris are very much like clubs in the UK. Or at least, the first venue the band played was. A darkish room with brick walls, giving it a cold, underground feel. The stage was a good size, and the dressing room was tiny with a tile floor, adding to the coldness, and few facilities. There was a toilet and an ancient shower, and a mini fridge full of cold water. The furniture looked like a bunch of people had just offered random bits of their old stuff from their houses. There was an ugly patterned sofa, and four armchairs, all in different colours.

And I thought my hotel room was drab.

I wasn’t sure of my role when we got to gigs. Was I supposed to help them carry things? Or just stay out of the way and… I don’t know… deliver drinks to the roadies? When I asked Drew, he laughed. “It’s up to you, Luce. If you want to help, you can, but you don’t have to. If you want to wait backstage and write, that’s fine.”

“Maybe I’ll just watch and write for today. When I know what the heck I’m doing, I might be more useful.”

He laughed. “Okay. Go grab a seat, and get used to seeing this happen almost every night for the next month.”

I smiled, wondering how soon I’d get bored of seeing beefy men lugging heavy equipment. As I clocked one of the Parisian men who had been roped in to help, his biceps straining against his t-shirt as he carried a heavy speaker, I figured it would be a while until I tired of this.

Instead of heading backstage, I moved to the back of the bar and sat down beside the sound desk. There was nobody around and I could easily move if I was in the way. I pulled my journal and pen out of my bag and rested them on my lap while I watched as my friends, plus a bunch of people I didn’t know, started setting up the stage. It was a lot more complex than I’d imagined. There were so many things to be set up, not to mention the tuning up of the instruments which would happen a little later.

That was what I wrote about in my journal. The realities of being a roadie. Fans only ever see the end product – a set stage and a great show. Beforehand, there are technical issues to be ironed out, and the occasional bit of drama when a roadie can’t follow a direction, or spends more time tweeting photos of the band members when he’s supposed to be working.

Yeah, Mr Biceps turned out to be all muscle and no brain.

Another new thing I learned about that I’d never seen before was the band’s pre-show rituals. In the dressing room ten minutes before the gig started, my friends turned into completely different people as they prepared to put on a show. Once again I found myself sitting in the corner observing while Drew paced the room with his head down. Joey was bouncing up and down and loosening his wrists, and Mack was holding his guitar, running his fingers over the strings in silent practice. Jason stood in the centre of the small room taking long, deep breaths and blowing them out slowly. I wanted to ask why they seemed so nervous when they’d done this so many times before but I didn’t want to interrupt. Two minutes before they were due on stage, they all snapped out of their own head spaces and went in for a group hug.

I chuckled, and Jason turned to me. “What?”

“Sorry.” I shook my head. “That was probably the strangest thing I’ve ever seen. Where do you go when you’re all zoned out like that?”

“We’re trying to get into the right mind frame for performing. We can’t just go out there from doing everyday stuff. Well, we can, but the show is never as good when we haven’t had this time to centre ourselves and think about what’s coming up. These people have paid for a show, and we’re going to make sure we give them that.”

Another side to Jason. I’d never thought he didn’t take his music seriously, but I’d also never witnessed just
how
serious this was for him. The whole “getting in the zone” thing was new to me. Music meant everything to him, and his passion sparked something inside me. Something that made me want to jump on him. Immediately.

“Gotta go,” he said, although I thought I spotted a sparkle in his green eyes, as if he knew what I was thinking.

Dammit.

I gave a lame wave as they headed out and onto the stage.

I’d kept my drooling to a minimum so far, and I hated that I’d slipped up. Swoony McFangirl was not the person I wanted to portray, and I hoped it wasn’t who I was. But I
was
attracted to Jason, and however hard I tried to squash those feelings, they were still there. They still needed an outlet sometimes.

**

The first gig was absolutely mind blowing. Razes Hell tore the roof off the club, and the guys were buzzing when they headed backstage. I followed them through; I’d been watching them from the back of the room, where I was safer from flailing limbs and drinks being sloshed all over the place.

“Oh my God.” I stared at them as they congratulated each other on an excellent show. “This tour is going to rock!”

“Thanks, Lucy.” Mack ruffled my hair as he passed me to grab a towel. “I think you might be right!”

“Are we going back to the hotel? Because I’m way too excited to sleep yet.”

“Us too.” Jason laughed. He opened the mini fridge and took out water for everyone then handed the bottles out. “I’m up for a few drinks here.”

“Me too,” Joey added. “I need beer and women immediately.”

Drew rolled his eyes but smiled. “Okay. A few drinks. We deserve it!”

The guys took turns using the shower and changing out of their sweaty clothes then we headed out of the dressing room and into the bar while the roadies dealt with their equipment, taking it all down and loading it back into the vans.

On our way through, fans slapped the guys on the back, and I felt another buzz at being part of something so special. The fame wasn’t mine, but it was pretty cool getting a taste of it and seeing what life was like for the band.

The bar was wild and crowded, and I stayed as close as I could to the boys but it was difficult with so many bodies squished together. Every now and again one of the guys would disappear for a while, but they’d eventually find their way back. Drew was the only one who stayed really close to me, and I knew it was because he was under strict orders to keep me safe. The music was loud, as were the other patrons, but the atmosphere was incredible, and I spent more time observing the crowds than anything else.

After about an hour, I needed a breather from the heat and the close proximity to others so I slipped out of the back door and took in a long gulp of fresh air. My skin instantly prickled with goose bumps from the temperature change and I wrapped my arms around myself to warm up. Although I could still hear the pumping beats from the bar, another sound outside caught my attention and I stiffened at the sound of a girl’s giggle followed by a deep groan from a man. I recognised the flirty sound; I’d heard many of my friends doing the girly giggle when they were with a guy, and I chuckled to myself knowing I couldn’t stay where I was in case the couple noticed me and thought I was some kind of creeper. I started to turn back to the club when I heard the girl say, in a very French accent, “Where will you take me?”

“I have a hotel room. Do you want to join me?”

My heart stilled as I recognised Jason’s voice, and when I heard their footsteps, I stepped back into the club doorway so they wouldn’t see me when they passed. Oh God. What the hell had she been doing to him to make him groan like that? I sank into the darkness when their footsteps came closer, my heart sinking slowly into my stomach. Jason had his arm firmly around the tiny waist of a stunning French girl with sleek black hair and gigantic boobs. Suddenly the footsteps stopped, and this time it was the girl who let out a moan. I shuffled forwards and peered hesitantly around the corner, immediately wishing I hadn’t. Jason had pressed her firmly against the wall, his hands pinning her wrists above her head as he kissed her neck. She arched her back slightly, her red-painted lips open, and his hands slid down her arms, down her waist then up to her breast, making her moan again.

“Please. Take me to your room.”

I ducked back into the shadows feeling sick at what I’d just seen. I tried hard to ignore the stabbing sensation in my stomach; I knew the deal already. I knew him hooking up with women was something I might have to learn to handle, but seeing it happen right in front of me was a lot harder than I’d expected. Instead of turning into a weepy, girly mess, I took some deep breaths, and jolted when the club door opened, the handle digging into my back as it swung outwards.

“Oh, I am so sorry.”

Mr Biceps stepped through the door as I rubbed my back where he’d bumped me.

“It’s okay,” I told him. “I shouldn’t have been standing in the way.” I started to move past him, but he caught my arm gently.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded, trying to regain control of my shallow breaths. “I just need a drink.”

Or six.

“Or… maybe we can talk?”

I glanced up into the blue eyes of Mr Biceps, and when he smiled, a dazzling white-toothed smile, I shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

We stepped out of the dark doorway and walked around to the side of the club. My mind was very much on Jason and the woman with the gigantic norks, but I figured chatting to Mr Biceps, whose real name was Julien, would be better than getting smashed and having to deal with day two of the tour with a massive hangover. Even if he was lazy and a little self-obsessed.

I leaned back against the wall of the club, trying to figure out exactly what we would talk about. We’d exchanged maybe ten words all day, and I was certain three of them had been me muttering, “Bloody useless prick,” under my breath while he checked his thick, dark hair before taking another photo of himself.

“You don’t like the club?” he asked as he leaned back against the wall beside me.

I shook my head. “It’s not that. I just wanted a break from the noise.”

Julien nodded. “I was going to have a smoke, but…” he looked me up and down appreciatively, “…I think talking with you might be better.”

I couldn’t fault his English, and a small part of me got a kick out of the way he looked at me. I was only wearing jeans and a black vest top, and black boots – there was no point wearing my best clothes to a grimy club. The girl Jason had picked up had been wearing a short, figure-hugging dress and killer heels, probably with the sole intention of hooking up with someone. Crappy as I felt about witnessing that, I was secure enough in myself that I didn’t feel the need to tart myself up just to attract attention. If I couldn’t get attention simply by being me, I didn’t want it.

I turned to face him, my shoulder still against the wall. “So, how did you get a job with Razes Hell?”

Julien smiled the kind of smile you see on magazine covers. He looked more suitable for modelling work than lugging heavy equipment around. “My father is the owner of this club. I am a big fan of Razes Hell, so he asked if I could help today. I was very happy to meet them.”

Mmhmm. That was clear from the amount of snaps you took with your phone.

“Will you be helping tomorrow night too?” I asked.

“No. It was just for tonight.” He pushed away from the wall with his foot and turned, taking a small step closer to me. “You will be going on the rest of the tour with the band?”

“Yes.”

“I have been watching you today. You are a writer?”

“Not yet, but maybe one day. I’m studying journalism at university. I’m writing about the tour as… practice, I guess.”

“They are very lucky to have such a beautiful woman with them.” He smiled again, his head tilting to the side slightly as his eyes flicked up and down my body again. Maybe he wasn’t so bad. After all, he certainly had the charm thing down. Score another point for France – not only was there magic in the air, the men had… if not class, at least better chat up lines than,
‘Alright, love? Fancy a bag of chips and a shag?’

“Is that so?” I asked.

“Yes.” He took another small step towards me. “That is so.”

Julien leaned closer to me, his hands lightly resting on my waist, and he whispered, “I would really like to kiss you.”

I hesitated for a moment, considering his request. Well, why the hell not? He was gorgeous, and I did promise myself I’d experience some things while I was away. At what other point in my life had I been given the opportunity to kiss someone who would probably one day adorn the covers of romance novels?

“I’d like that too,” I told him, smiling.

As his hands moved down to my hips, I rested mine on his waist. His kiss was as smooth as he was, his tongue flicking into my mouth before I even had time to blink. I relaxed into him, and I swear I felt him smile against my lips. I hadn’t had many kisses, but this was by far one of the best – his lips were soft and gentle, and his tongue danced expertly with mine.